Convenient Cavein
by Casa Circe
Summary: ZUTARA WEEK 2011 Day Four: Secret. Whenever Zuko and Katara were asked about the turning point in their relationship, they always mentioned an accident that befell them at the Western Air Temple. What they didn't know was that this was no accident.


**ZUTARA WEEK 2011, Day 4: SECRET**

**Convenient Cave-in**

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Avatar: the Last Airbender **_**belongs to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians.**

**NOTE: Like all the prompts this year, this one was difficult to work with because it was so broad in scope and overlapped with the other prompts as well. But this is what I managed to come up with, not my most creative idea but still I hope something worth your time. **

**Bitter!Katara is fun but exhausting to write, I have to say.**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Whenever people ask them about the event that was the turning point in their relationship, Zuko and Katara would always refer to an accident that befell them while they were still at the Western Air Temple.

Katara had been busy practicing her waterbending alone in one area of the ancient structure while Zuko had been ordered by Aang to try and talk to her. The Avatar had noticed the tension that remained between his two bending masters and he wanted them to get along better. But even after much encouragement, Zuko was hesitant to approach Katara so Aang had to be a little more forceful.

As soon as she sensed Zuko's presence, Katara turned her back to him and was determined to ignore him, as she always did. He stood by awkwardly, not sure of what to say when a series of light tremors shook the place where they were.

"Watch out!" the firebender cried.

The rocky ceiling was cracking above them and quickly assessing the danger, Zuko pushed Katara out of the way just as a large chunk of the ceiling crashed down where she stood. But before they were able to recover and escape, a wall of rubble blocked their way and in a matter of minutes, they were both trapped in a small, dark cave. On one side was the wall of the temple and all around them was the debris that somehow managed to miss them.

Zuko immediately provided a light source with a flame in his hand and they surveyed the area. For the first few hours, they put aside their hard feelings and tried to find a way out. Katara still had some water in her gourd but it wasn't much. Still, she did what she could, freezing the water into a pick and began to pry at the rocks in front of them. Zuko likewise shot precise blasts of fire in an attempt to dislodge the rocks. They worked silently and Katara refused to acknowledge the firebender's presence even though the only reason they had light to work with was his due to his bending.

But escaping proved to be more complicated than either of them expected. They managed to pry a small hole near the ceiling, just enough to give them some air but to widen the hole would cause larger rocks to fall and crush them. After many attempts, they found that to try and destroy the rocks would only cause these to fall on them. They were trapped inside and their only hope of survival was if someone from the outside found them.

So the next few hours, both benders grew nearly hoarse shouting through the small air hole, calling out to Aang or the others for help. Zuko even shot some fire signals through the small opening, in hopes of somehow gaining the others' attention.

"Aang! Toph! Sokka! Haru! Teo! THE DUKE! Momo! Appa! Help us! We're in here!"

But even after going through the whole roster of the temple's inhabitants, no one arrived.

By nightfall, the two captives were exhausted but there was still no sign of a rescuer. It was unfortunate that they were in a remote area of the temple and that Aang had not really expected them back early. Zuko knew that the Avatar probably thought that he and Katara would have a long, long talk.

"They won't be expecting us back too soon," Zuko muttered, shaking his head, all the while maintaining a flickering flame on his hand. He sat down on the ground exhaustedly, looking at his other hand which had been deeply cut in his attempts to pry some rocks. It was bleeding so he made a fist and took a deep breath. He did not want to let on that he was injured.

Katara said nothing but simply glared at him. But she was tired too and sat down at the corner of the cave furthest from Zuko. Which wasn't very far but she was determined not to look at him. He sighed in resignation but said nothing.

For several minutes they remained in tense, hostile silence.

"This is all your fault, you know," Katara said scornfully.

"MY FAULT?" Zuko cried incredulously.

"If you hadn't pushed us both into this corner, we wouldn't have been stuck here!" Katara cried in exasperation.

"I was pushing _you _out of harm's way. I apologize if you found my saving your life so offensive!" Zuko retorted.

Katara glared and folded her arms, having nothing else to say.

"Hmmph," Zuko muttered, "and I suppose you blame me for the little earthquake as well, don't you? Everything bad that happens is my fault."

"Well, if that's true, it wouldn't be the first time, would it?" Katara replied bitterly.

Zuko's eyes widened and he frowned. He thought that he had gotten used to Katara's resentful accusations at him. But every time she aimed a word of anger at him, it always hurt. Acutely.

"Fine," he said coldly, "for what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to get stuck here with me."

"More empty words," Katara muttered in reply.

Zuko shook his head and turned away from her. There was really no point arguing. He concentrated instead on keeping the small flame glowing and enduring the pain in his other hand.

At length, Katara proved less capable of giving silent treatment than Zuko was at enduring it. It was uncomfortable enough that they were together. She couldn't stand having nothing else to hear but the usual night time sounds. She was too tired to yell but she needed to speak. Her usual anger and suspicion had dissipated, replaced by fatigue and some degree of remorse. As loathe as she was to admit it, she knew in her heart that she had spoken to him harshly and unjustly. And Katara was never one to sustain too much guilt.

Reluctantly, she turned her face slightly to where Zuko was, huddled in a corner, staring at the flickering flame in his hand. With a heavy sigh, Katara spoke.

"Why did you come to see me, anyway?" she asked softly.

Zuko looked up in surprise, not expecting to be addressed. But he was still nursing the wounds her words had left.

"To offer more 'empty words'," he said sarcastically.

Katara shifted uncomfortably.

"But by the looks of things," Zuko continued, "I shouldn't have bothered. You made it perfectly clear that you never want to have anything to do with me. And after how I treated you before, I can't really blame you."

This was neither his first apology nor the first admission of guilt that she had heard from him. But it was the first that she had listened to properly, not blinded by her anger or distrust. She was too tired to keep up the same fierce exterior and he was too tired to push for a reconciliation.

But Katara had had time to think about him more than she had ever allowed herself to. Their short captivity together, reminiscent of that difficult time in Ba Sing Se and yet so different from that time, had made her reconsider her evaluation of him. She could no longer deny, even to herself, that he had indeed changed.

"You're wrong," she said softly

"To you I always am," he answered with a shrug.

"No, no that's not what I meant," Katara protested earnestly.

The change in her tone made Zuko look at her curiously. To his relief, he saw that her expression was not hostile. He dared not hope, though, so he merely stared at her questioningly.

Katara saw that she had to go through with whatever she had started. With a sigh, she mustered her courage and continued.

"I don't hate you, in fact, I was the first person to trust you," she explained, "I-I've just been carrying what happened in Ba Sing Se with me since it happened."

"Of course," Zuko replied sadly before looking at her sincerely, "I can offer no excuse for the way I acted. I was selfish and stupid. I know I can't bring back Ba Sing Se but I'll do whatever I can to make up for all my mistakes."

Katara listened carefully while staring at him, trying to gauge his sincerity. And she saw, much to her surprise, that his remorse was genuine. Perhaps it had always been but she had been too stubborn to acknowledge the truth.

"I believe you," she replied softly.

Realizing her own mistakes, Katara stood up and slowly walked over to Zuko's side and sat beside him. The firebender stared at her incredulously and then gratefully, feeling as if a great thorn had been plucked out of his side.

"Thank you, Katara," he said earnestly.

The waterbender shook her head.

"You saved my life today," she replied with a smile, "I should be thanking you."

She extended her hand to him and in his excitement, he extended his wounded hand. She gasped and stared and he immediately withdrew his hand in embarrassment.

"You're hurt!" she cried in alarm.

"It's nothing," he said, though he was obviously masking the pain he felt.

"Let me see," Katara insisted, gently taking his hand. He made no resistance.

She was shocked to see that it bore a deep cut and Zuko had already lost a lot of blood. She looked at him and only then noticed that he had grown pale and slightly weak. The small flame on his other hand was already flickering.

"It's all right, Katara, really," he protested, "I'm fine."

"No, I can't let you suffer like this anymore," she said defiantly and they both knew that she wasn't just referring to his bleeding hand.

Bending glowing water onto his palm, Katara healed the wound and much more besides.

In the morning, Toph found the two sitting beside each other, fast asleep, with Katara's head on Zuko's shoulder.

Before waking them, the blind earthbender grinned triumphantly.

"Just as planned," Toph congratulated herself.


End file.
